ribbon candy wrapping paper and how to make your own Christmas gift wrap

How to Make a Christmas Wrapping Paper Craft

Introduction

If you want to save a little money this year and exercise your creativity, trying a craft project making Christmas wrapping paper. This is an easy kids’ crafts project and fun for adults too. In many cases, you’ll be able to use things you already have around the house.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need

Kraft paper

Scissors

Tape

Ribbon

Cardstock

Construction paper

Rubber stamps

Stamp pads

Marker

Ruler

Aluminum foil

Pillowcase

Steps

Step One

Buy a large roll of white Kraft paper at your local craft store. Cut the paper to fit the size of the gift you are wrapping and decorate the paper with rubber stamps. Craft stores have a large variety of Christmas and holiday stamps and stamp pads if you don’t already have these supplies.

Step Two

Cut out Christmas shapes and place them on the Kraft paper with a glue stick. Use colored cardstock or construction paper and draw shapes freehand or trace them. You can make all of the shapes the same size or vary them. Christmas trees, candy canes, ornaments and snowmen are easy to draw and cut out. If your children are too young to cut out the shapes, they will still enjoy gluing on the shapes.

Step Three

Make your own striped wrapping paper. Use a marker and a ruler to create parallel lines on a piece of Kraft paper. You can draw the lines the same distance apart or draw a few close together and then a few farther apart. This is probably the easiest craft project, but if you draw very straight lines, it can look as though it was professionally done.

Step Four

Create your own low-cost metallic wrapping paper with a roll of aluminum foil. Make a design on the foil with ribbons or buy some metallic stickers and place them on the foil.

Step Five

Use pillow cases to wrap large items instead of gift bags. Buy inexpensive white pillowcases at a discount store, place the item inside and tie up with ribbon and a large bow. After Christmas, the recipient will have a new gift and new pillow case to enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

There is no shortage of things you can add to your wrapping paper. Glitter, small pine cones and candy canes all help to make your Christmas craft project one-of-a-kind.

Rainbow Sponge & Ink Kit – Techniques
Contributed by Ranger Ink & Posh Impressions
Sponge Versatility – The Rainbow Sponge is a fabulous tool for applying colorful inks to cards, gift wrap, photo album pages, stationery and almost any glossy or absorbent paper project. There are three different size edges: the small edge is perfect for writing, creating borders and line patterns, the medium and large edges cover more ground for making backgrounds and banners. Vary the edges for interesting effects when developing plaid and check designs. Different color combinations can be placed on other edges later. Use the sponge with ink directly from the bottles for the most vibrant color effects. Spray lightly with a fine mist of water and the colors become slightly less intense, but they will last longer and allow you to pull the sponge more easily. Watch out! – more than 2 squirts of water will dilute and mute the color, producing a pale result.

Applying the Inks to the Sponge – Place the needle nose applicator tip next to the edge of the sponge and lightly squeeze the bottle, applying several drops of ink. Apply several colors of ink to one edge of the sponge. Achieve blending by placing colors that mix well next to one another. Allowing space between the colors will provide a striped

result – while inks that touch create solid rainbows of color. Before You Start – Lay out project paper on a dry, flat surface. It helps to have a large pad of paper underneath your project so you can drag your sponge off of its edge. It is important to get your hands out of the way since you will need to pull the sponge in one unobstructed fluid motion, beginning and ending off of the project.

Dry Sponging • Once your sponge is inked, hold your paper at one end while you pull the sponge across to the other end of your project in the desired pattern. Repeat this process until your paper is filled with color.

Ribbon Candy Sponging – Wet the sponge and pull it across your project making small “U” shapes with your wrist, creating connecting peaks. Try making the “U” shapes wide and loose or tight and tall.

Ribbon Candy SpongingStraight/Diagonal Sponging –Align the edge of your inked sponge with the edge of the paper for Straight Sponging. Turn the paper at an angle to create diagonal stripes of color.

Directions:
Wrap 20″ of ribbon like Ribbon Candy. Then take a small piece of ribbon and tie a knot in the middle to secure the bow, The tag was made by stamping the phrase and then punching out with a Scallop Rectangle punch. Sponge the edges and then Mat in red.

Stamp the snowman in black ink on white paper and then on a post it note. Cut out the snowman on the post it note and place over the other snowman to create a mask. Take another Post-it and cut a wavy (1/2″ or so) piece to mask where the “snow” will be. Place that at the bottom. With both masks in place stamp the snowflakes on the background and sponge lightly with Soft Sky Ink (or light blue). Remove masks and color the snowman. Add lines freehand in black ink for the snowdrifts. Add glitter. Tie a knot on a small piece of ribbon and attach with tape on the back of the card. Assemble.

>Click here to see top of jarStamps: Glad Tidings Paper: We R Memory Keepers Petit Four, Nook and Tea Towel, and Bazzill cardstockInk: Stampin’ Up Old OliveRibbon: We R Memory KeepersOther: Square latch lid glass jar approximately 2.5″ wide, by 4.75″ high

Directions:
1.Trim out a piece of patterned paper (I used We R Memory Keepers- Petit Four) approximately 11″ x 2 3/4″ and adhere to the jar overlapping itself.
2. Trim out a piece of patterned paper (I used We R Memory Keepers- Tea Towel) approximately 11″ x 2 1/4″. Using the border flourish stamp from Glad Tidings, stamp across the top and bottom of the Tea Towel patterned paper with Old Olive ink. Adhere on top of the Petit Four paper, making sure to center. You should have a border of 1/4″ on the top and bottom. Paper will overlap.
3. Stamp the Christmas tree with Old Olive onto a piece of patterned paper (I used We R Memory Keepers- Nook.) Trim tree out. Repeat until you have 4 trees.
4. Adhere the four trees to each of the four sides of the jar.
5. Tie ribbon around the neck of the jar.
6. Punch out a red scallop circle using the Marvy Uchida Mega scallop punch, and adhere to the top of the jar lid.
7. Punch out a circle (approx. 1 1/2 -1 3/4″) from patterned paper (I used We R Memory Keepers- Nook.) and adhere to scallop circle making sure to center.
8. Stamp “to & from” stamp onto cream cardstock with Old Olive ink. Punch out using 1/18″ circle punch, and sponge the edges with Old Olive ink.
Adhere to the center of the 1 1/2 -1 3/4″ patterned paper circle.
9. Fill with candy or other goodies.

Directions:
1. Using the word processing package on your computer, pull up a postcard template. In Word, click on *Tools*, *Envelopes and Labels* and then use template #*3263* (postcard 4.25″x 5.5″ Letter Landscape).
2. Create a text box in the lower right corner of the first postcard and type in a personalized greeting. (Note: I left enough room between the lines to stamp “holiday cheer”.)
3. Copy and paste that text box into the other three postcards on the page.
4. Print the document on white cardstock. (I usually print it out on printing paper first to make sure the spacing is correct.)
5. Trim white cardstock to 4″ x 5.25″ and stamp “holiday cheer” greeting in red between the printed text.
6. Cut and score the card bases from 8.5″ x 11″ colored cardstock (2 green/2 red). Finished card size 4.25″ x 5.5″
7. Punch out scalloped shapes in coordinating colors and circles/ovals in white cardstock.
8. Stamp images using the Christmas hat in red and tree in green from Holiday Cheer set on the white shapes.
9. Stamp the circle frame from Celebration Frames in black on the circle scalloped shapes.
10. Attach the stamped pieces to the scalloped mats.
11. Tie or glue ribbon around the white cardstock and attach the stamped image with foam pop-dots for added dimension.
12. Attach the white cardstock to the card base. Add jewels to the Christmas trees and glitter to the hats.
13. Stamps the same trees and hats on envelopes to coordinate.

Bundle them together with ribbon and you have a fast, easy gift for school teachers, bus drivers, coaches, or the newspaper delivery person!

Directions:
1. Stamp 6 snowman in StazON on 6 small pieces of Cryogen White. Color with Markers and cut out with Nestabilities and apply small amounts of glitter to hat and scarf.
2. Cut 6 turquoise layers with Nestabilities and adhere to turquoise and snowmen together.
3. Using 11″ x 7.75″ piece of celery cardstock.Stamp snowflakes randomly on celery cardstock. Lay on paper trimmer in landscape position. Score at 1/2″, 4″, 5.75″ 9.25″ .
4. Turn to portrait position and score at 4.25.
5. From the portrait position, on the shorter of the 2 sides (3.5″) cut the 1/2″, 4″, 5.75″ 9.25″ score lines to the 4.25″ cross score. Folded in, these pieces create the bottom of your box. Accent snowflake stamped images with glitter. Cut scallops or decorative edge across the top of the box. Fold into place and secure box shape with adhesive.
6. Cut a 1.5″ strip of white and create scalloped edges. Cut into two 3.5″ and two 1.75″ pieces. This becomes your band. Adhere to the middle of your box as shown. Tie turquoise ribbon, knotting at back – or front if desired.
7. Apply snowman layer over the band on the box.

Notecards:
1. Apply other snowman layers to small notecards. Tie celery ribbon and apply snowflake charm with tacky glue or string.
2. Punch and stamp a tag with ‘let it snow’ and celery snowflake stamped image. Bundle notecards with a larger piece of celery ribbon lengthwise, attach tag and insert into the standing box.

Stamps: Christmas in the City, Glad Tidings, and So SwirlyInk: Stampin Up Close to Cocoa and Ruby Red, and Tsukineko VersamarkCardstock: Stampin Up Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, and Smooth WhiteRibbon: Red Gingham by May Arts and Stampin Up Chocolate ChipAccessories: Red chalk, Angelina computer font, red eyelets, cellophane bag, stapler, small candy cane in wrapper, and homemade hot cocoa mix (recipe below.)

Cocoa Kit Bag Directons:
1. Cut a 10×4.5 piece of brown (Close to Cocoa) cardstock. Score and fold the cardstock piece at 2″ and then 3″ (the remaining area will measure at 5″) Using the So Swirly stamp set, stamp swirls on one side with Versamark ink and also ink the edges.
2. Then cut a piece of 4.5×5 cream (Totally Tan) cardstock. Adhere this piece behind the front panel of the brown cardstock piece. This forms the outside bag. Punch the top of the two flaps with a decorative edge corner punch.
3. On a strip of white cardstock 4.5″ long, stamp cocoa mug image in Close to Cocoa ink. Chalk mugs with red chalk and then sponge the edges of the strip with brown ink. Then take the strip and put adhesive on THREE sides only..the two sides and the bottom, so it will form a pocket. Put this directly above the area where the brown cardstock ends and the cream begins. Glue down a piece of Close to Cocoa ribbon directly above the white strip and a piece of red gingham ribbon directly below the strip.
4. On a 4.5″ wide strip of cream (Totally Tan) paper, stamp the image “baby it’s cold outside” in brown ink. Sponge edges. Glue this strip onto the front below the cocoa mug strip.
5. At the top of the bag, set two red eyelets in both the front and the back flaps. Then using a piece of red gingham ribbon through the eyelets, tie the front and back flaps together.

Hot Cocoa Mix Directions Pullout: Cut out a 3×1.5 piece of red (Ruby Red) cardstock. Print directions (below) in brown on white paper that will fit slightly smaller than red cardstock piece and cut out. Use a corner rounder on both pieces and adhere white piece to red cardstock piece. Then, staple a “ribbon pull” with brown ribbon to the back. Insert directions into the pocket on the front of the cocoa kit bag.

Hot Cocoa Mix: Make Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe (below) and measure out 2 cups into cellophane bag. Cut out a 2×4″ strip of cream (Totally Tan) cardstock and fold down the middle. Stamp snowflake image on both sides in red (Ruby Red) ink and sponge the edges in brown (Close to Cocoa) ink. Fold up the top of the cellophane bag several times and then place folded cardstock piece over the top of the fold. Place candy cane in wrapper on the top and staple the cardstock piece and the candy cane to the top of the bag. Stamp “MC” tag on white cardstock, punch out, and adhere to the cellophane bag directly below candy cane.